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Geocache Description:

IOWA LIMESTONE

Most of Iowa's rocks are sedimentary like limestone and dolomite. This does not mean that all rocks were formed in the same environment Iowa's rock history shows there were different environments over time. The types of environments include coral reefs, swampy shorelines, streams and rivers, oceans and glaciers.

Over the history of the Earth, Iowa was near the equator and under water in shallow oceans. During these times, the limestones and dolomites were being formed! Two types of depositions form limestone and dolomite. Deposition is the accumulation of sediments in an area over a long time. The two types of deposition are chemical and physical.

Physical Deposition means that it formed when seashells, skeletons and sediments were eroded from one spot and carried to another spot where a new rock would eventually form.

Chemical deposition means that they precipitated from the ocean water itself. Even around the world today, limestone and dolomite are being deposited underwater in ocean environments, such as off the coast of Florida, but they're not rocks yet. It will still take thousands of years of pressures by compaction for the sediments to become rocks.

The Iowa State Capitol is bricked with Limestone and many porticoes of the building. Both front and back porticoes have pediments supported by six Corinthian columns each. Most of the states government buildings have Limestone as part of their foundation.

In 1974, the Iowa General Assembly determined that one-half of one percent of the total cost for both the Hoover and Wallace office buildings would be set aside for artwork to decorate the structures. As part of this program, the National Endowment for the Arts and the state shared the costs for this 1979 monument to the west of the Hoover Building. The $14,000 piece is the work of Iowa City artist Luther Utterback. Five limestone blocks and a Japanese ginko tree are incorporated into the 116-ton work.

Four limestone blocks are arranged above the ground and the fifth stone, a 16-ton block of choice limestone, is buried six feet below the ground. Mr. Utterback, who did no polishing or finishing of the stones, commented, "The piece was produced by the earth."

Five Stones - One Tree

To get credit for this cache send an email to me for requirements 1-3. Requirement 4 should be posted at the TIME of your logging the find.

1. How high is each bottom piece of Limestone?

2. How high is each top piece of Limestone?

3. On the southern piece of Limestone, what is the width of each side?

4. Post your picture with the female statue on the north side of the monument...270 degrees at 0.18 mile from where you are right now. The Iowa State Capitol is directly across from this wonderful monument.

Bonus: The most creative picture during the first three months of this cache being published will win a copy of the FINAL SCRIPT FOR THE LAST EPISODE TELEVISION SERIES “ER”...Winner is Lil Ms. GCN as the FLASHER.

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